


Hold Your Tongue

by Elri



Category: Wonder Woman (2017), Wonder Woman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Curse Breaking, Curses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-14 13:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16493255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elri/pseuds/Elri
Summary: Curses were not uncommon occurrences, everyone knew there was a possibility of having one though they had gone somewhat out of style with the turn of the century. Most now only existed as part of a lineage, running in the veins of some long reaching bloodline. A few, however, still lingered in the world and were foretold in cautious warnings of parents to children.





	Hold Your Tongue

_“Within your soul, love’s tender words I’ll hide.”_

 

Curses were not uncommon occurrences, everyone knew there was a possibility of having one though they had gone somewhat out of style with the turn of the century. Most now only existed as part of a lineage, running in the veins of some long reaching bloodline. A few, however, still lingered in the world and were foretold in cautious warnings of parents to children.

 

“If you leave a light on when no one’s awake, you’ll invite something into the home.”

“Don’t bring home an animal in the middle of the night, no pets will survive.”

 

And the one his mother always emphasized:

“Never lie to yourself about love, or your love may never know you care.”

 

As a child, these warnings had terrified Charlie. As an adult, he was no longer scared of monsters and witches in the shadows, but he still took precautions every now and then. He didn’t realize he’d forgotten to heed the most important one until it was too late.

 

Charlie first met Sameer when Steve Bloody Trevor called them in to work a mission together. The hope was that Charlie wouldn’t be needed as this was a simple infiltration and extraction mission, but Steve liked to be prepared for anything. It was one of the things that made him a good spy, good enough that the British had readily accepted his offer to help even when America was trying to stay out of things. Charlie hadn’t known what to think of Sameer at first; if Steve called him in then he was highly skilled at what he did, and what he did seemed to be con people into trusting him. If that wasn’t a reason to be wary then Charlie’s hair wasn’t red. Yet he still found himself inexplicably drawn to this man with bright eyes and a wide smile, wit and charm always at the ready.

The two didn’t get a chance to actually talk to each other until the night after the mission succeeded. They’d crossed out of enemy territory but were still a half-day out from the extraction point; there, Steve would leave to take the info back to the men in charge and the others would go back to what they’d been doing and wait till they were called for again. Charlie had volunteered to take the watch and Sameer was staying up with him, apparently unable to sleep. They were quiet at first, not really used to each other yet, but Sami apparently got bored with the silence and got Charlie’s attention.

“Hey, Charlie, wasn’t it?”

“Aye. Sameer, right?”

“Call me Sami.” He shifted to a lounging position, feet sticking out towards the fire, “So, you’re a sniper?”

“That’s what they bring me in for.”

“I’m almost sorry we didn’t get to see your skills, if you’re on this team you must be good at it. Of course,” Sami gave Charlie a cocky grin, “If we’d needed you it would have meant I did something wrong.”

Charlie returned the grin with a half-smile, “And if you’re on this team, you must be good at what you do.”

“That’s the spirit,” Sami picked up one of the empty cups and lifted it in a mock toast, “To the skills that keep us alive.”

Charlie picked up his own cup, “And to Steve Trevor, who makes us put them to work.”

 

They saw each other again not long after, running into each other in the same bar in London. Charlie had some unexpected leave while in between assignments and decided to spend a night on the town. He was pleasantly surprised when a familiar voice greeted him and Sami slid onto the stool next to his.

“It’s good to see you again, Charlie.”

“Likewise.” Charlie signaled the bartender for another drink, “You come around here often?”

“Not very, I have a few different places around town I like to stop by.” Sami leaned in a little closer, “Can you keep a secret, my friend?”

“Of course.” Charlie leaned in as well.

“Between you and me, I occasionally like to do…shall we say personal side jobs. The nature of these jobs is such that it is beneficial for me not to be seen to frequently in the same place.”

“So you’re a conman,” Charlie said with a smile, keeping his voice low.

“That’s such a harsh word; I prefer…independent businessman.”

“And how would you describe the ‘independent business’ that you do?”

“I make men of some means aware of unique investment opportunities and advise them on potential ways to increase their assets.”

Charlie snorted, “Taking a fair percentage of the cut for yourself, no doubt.”

“But of course, I do have to make a living for myself.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Charlie passed Sami the other drink, “Cheers, mate.” After they’d drunk, Charlie propped an arm up on the bar so he could face Sami easier. “So Sami, you out tonight lookin’ for work?”

“I came out to see what the night held for me, but I didn’t have anything particular in mind. And now, having happened upon a friend, I am content to enjoy your company as long as you’ll let me.”

“That’s fine by me, no sense drinking alone if you don’t have to as my grandfather used to tell me.”

They ended up spending the rest of the evening together at the bar, drinking when they weren’t swapping stories about the missions they’d been on or the men they’d served with. Both had a fair number about Steve and took great glee in sharing his more embarrassing moments (if somewhere further away Steve had the sudden sense that he would suffer mildly from the consequences of his past actions, who’s to say?).

At same point, the discussion took a more serious turn, as talk of war was wont to do. They sat closer, taking and offering comfort in elbows and knees pressed together. Charlie at one point quietly speculated if humanity had been cursed or if it was all just their own stupid fault. For once, he wasn’t met with an immediate dismissal, if anything Sami seemed to seriously consider his question.

“I don’t know,” Sami said finally, “I can’t think of anything we’ve done to warrant what we’ve seen. Curses are meant to have a kind of justice to them, there’s no justice in this war.”

“Aye,” Charlie agreed quietly, draining his beer. He absentmindedly rubbed at his left arm, pushing the sleeve back enough that Sami caught a glimpse of the top of the scar that spread up his forearm.

“Charlie,” Sami started, hesitating.

“Sami?”

He gestured to Charlie’s arm, “May I?”

Charlie hesitated for a moment, but held his arm out towards Sami, staying quiet as his sleeve was pulled back to reveal the burn scar that covered about a third of his forearm. It was clearly an old scar, more pink than red, but it stood out against Charlie’s pale skin. Sami gently curled his hand under Charlie’s wrist to bring the arm closer and trailed the finger tips on his other hand down the rough skin.

“What happened?” Sami asked.

“When I was about fifteen, there was a huge storm, and lightning struck a tree that crashed onto the barn. Luckily, none of the animals were seriously harmed but the horse was trapped in the back. I wrapped some wet cloths around my hands and managed to pull away the branch that was in her way, but my shirt caught on fire and I was burned before I could get out to douse it. It looked pretty bad but it’s healed fine and never really bothered me since.” Charlie tried for a smile, hoping to lighten the mood, “Really, the worst part was when it started scabbing over, it itched like hell!” For a moment, Sami didn’t respond. When he looked up though, Charlie was taken aback by the overflowing warmth in his eyes and the genuine, unrestrained smile.

“You are more full of surprises than I expected. My apologies for underestimating you, Charlie.”

Charlie swallowed hard, “Uhm, thanks?” He could’ve almost sworn he felt Sami’s thumb rub the back of his hand before letting it go, but the alcohol was starting to catch up to him and make things fuzzy. He cleared his throat, “so, what about you?”

Sami raised an eyebrow, not quite following, “What about me?”

“Any childhood scars or wild stories?”

“A few scars yes, but none that I can easily show. However, I will tell you the story behind one of them.” Sami then launched into a grand tale of daring childhood adventures, and Charlie let himself be carried off into another land.

They didn’t realize how late it had gotten until they heard Last Call. Sami paid for their last drinks despite Charlie’s protests and stood, putting his jacket on as he was sure the temperature had gone down with the sun.

“Where are you off to then, Charlie?”

“Headed east, I’ve got a rented place that way.”

“As do I, may I walk with you?”

“Sure, after you.”

They walked under the warm glow of the street lamps, their breaths not yet visible in the evening chill. Charlie mentally estimated that they’d have freezing weather by next week, if not sooner, but for now enjoyed the unexpected reprieve from any kind of precipitation.

“It’s a nice night,” Sami commented, breaking Charlie out of his reverie, “Probably one of the nicer ones I’ve seen in the city.”

“Aye,” Charlie looked up at the sky, “If we were farther out we might be able to see the stars.”

“I will admit, that is one of the few things I enjoy about going on a mission, I get to see the stars more.”

“Did you ever learn their names?”

“A fair few, enough to know where I’m going in case I ever get lost. You?”

“I can find my way around alright; as far as names, Grandpa Mack told me what _he_ called the constellations, cannae say for sure if they’re the “correct” names.”

Sami made a dismissive noise and waved his hand, “Every culture has their own names for the constellations. The “correct” ones these days are all Greco-Roman. One day, I will teach you what _my_ people call them, and you can tell me what Grandpa Mack taught you.”

“Deal.”

They reached the intersection where they would part. Sami turned to Charlie and held out his hand, “Until next time, mon ami.”

Charlie grasped it, “Until next time, Sami.” He stood a little while as Sami walked away, watching his relaxed posture and listening to the little melody he began to whistle. “Thoir an aire, Sameer.”

 

Next time ended up being another Steve Trevor mission. Charlie was the last to get to the meet-up point and couldn’t help his grin when he saw the already familiar figure of Sami, turned profile as he talked to Steve.

“Oi!” He called, waving when they turned to look.

“Charlie!” Sami grinned and returned the wave, “Good to see you my friend!”

“Good to see you too-!” Charlie tried to call Sami’s name, but it caught in his throat.

“Hey Charlie,” Steve gave a small wave. As Charlie got closer, he could see the bags under Steve’s eyes. The war was starting to take its toll on everyone it seemed. “You ready to go?”

“Born ready, lad. Where’re we off to this time?”

“We’re going to meet up with Chief and then head into northern Germany, we got reports of a weapons factory we need to shut down.”

Sami grimaced, “I hate the factories, it always feels like they’re one wrong move away from exploding.”

“Ay,” Charlie nodded, “Well let’s see if we can’t help this one along.”

“That’s the spirit guys,” Steve took a deep breath, steadying himself. “Let’s get going.”

They found Chief (really, Chief found them) in either Belgium or the Netherlands. There was a little section of the Netherlands that came down between Belgium and Germany and they might have gone just North enough to hit it but Steve wasn’t sure and Chief didn’t say. But they were altogether on time so no one worried about it although Sami and Charlie exchanged a look that confirmed they would mock Steve for it later. What did start to worry Charlie, however, was the way Chief kept looking at him.

It started with an almost squint, like Chief was trying to spot him from a distance. Then he kept seeing Chief watching him, as if waiting for him to do something; or trying to catch him doing something. Even when Charlie couldn’t see Chief, he felt like something was looking through him.

When they settled in to camp for the night, Charlie took the first watch knowing Chief would probably be staying up as well. He stared at the fire and tried to figure out if he really wanted the answer to his question, but never got the chance. Steve woke up for the shift change and Charlie laid down on his mat, glancing over in Sami’s direction before falling asleep.

 

When Charlie met Diana, the way she looked at him reminded him of Chief. On the surface, he could see her disapproval of his drinking and behavior, but he could also sense her looking through him as if there was something on his soul she was trying to decipher. He wanted to say something to Sami but was afraid his friend would think he’d finally gone mad. Sami had been staying close to him since he was discharged from the hospital and Charlie found himself getting more and more tongue-tied even when he was sober. He stuck to shorter sentences, nonverbal responses, and hoped that Sami didn’t think he was acting too odd.

As he played the piano in Veld, he saw out of the corner of his eye when Sami walked up to him and almost stumbled over the notes. It took everything in him to focus on the keys and not look up. He couldn’t remember if he’d ever played for Sami before, but he knew it had been a long time since anyone had heard him. Sometimes when he was drunk enough he would slur out a few bars of something, that didn’t really count though. He had no idea that behind him Diana and Steve were swaying under the snowfall and looking at each other like there was nothing else they needed to be concerned with, but he did feel Sami’s arm rest on his shoulders, hand just brushing his neck over his collar. There was a part of him that wanted to lean into the touch, but he didn’t move. It rested there for only a moment, giving him a gentle squeeze, before dropping down as Sami stepped away.

 

Charlie found himself reaching out for that touch on the airfield, as he prayed there was some mercy left in the world. When he emerged from the wreckage and saw Sami’s face, alive, he tried to speak, to say something about how relieved he was, but the words wouldn’t come out. All he could do was hold on.

 

Shortly before Diana left to see what else there was in the world besides war and devastation, she pulled Charlie aside. “Charlie, do you know that you carry a curse inside you?”

“What?” He glanced around, making sure no one was listening in, “Whaddya mean?”

“I saw it, when we first met. My mother used to tell me stories about the curses of man, about the pain and sorrow they could inflict upon themselves and each other.”

“And you can see them?”

“I can see yours.”

“What does it look like?”

“It’s curled around your heart, and wraps its way up to your throat. I’ve seen it constrict sometimes when you try to speak.” She put a hand on his arm, “I don’t know what brought this curse, Charlie, but I know that you are stronger than it. I hope you find your voice, and I look forward to hearing your music again.”

As Charlie and Sami walked home to the rented flat that they shared, Charlie’s mind turned over what Diana had said. It was true he hadn’t felt like himself in a while, but how much of that was shell-shock and booze and how much was curse he couldn’t have said. His heart…and his throat…it didn’t make sense. The only times he ever found himself struggling with his words was…

Oh…

Charlie stopped with the realization. Sami got two steps before realizing and turned back. “Charlie? Are you alright?”

Sami stepped into the light of the lamp, reminding Charlie of so long ago when they’d talked about the stars. His eyes were warm and bright, and Charlie saw something in them that sparked recognition in his heart.

 “”m alright,” Charlie said quietly, suddenly shy. “Just got a bit dizzy for a second.”

“Do you need to sit down?”

He shook his head. “It’s ok, we can keep going.”

Sami lifted his hand up, hesitated, then gently placed it on Charlie’s forearm, right over the scar. “You know if there’s anything you want to talk about, you can tell me, right?”

“Yeah,” Charlie nodded, “I know.”

“Then why do you barely speak to me?” There was a pain in Sami’s eyes, and Charlie hated that it was his fault.

“I-“ Charlie choked again, looking away. His mother’s words echoed back to him: _your love may never know you care._

_Oh_

He looked up, “Sami.” Charlie laughed, almost sobbing in relief at finally saying Sami’s name. “Sameer!”

“Charlie?”

“I love you,” Charlie confessed, finally able to admit it to himself and unwilling to hold it back any longer. “I love you; I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner.” It was a risk, but he trusted that look in Sami’s eyes.

For a moment, Sami just stared at him, caught off-guard by everything that had just happened. As he searched Charlie’s face, afraid of being mocked but hoping for sincerity, the hand not on Charlie’s arm came up to lightly touch Charlie’s jaw. Charlie moved his arm to take Sami’s hand and stepped forward.

“Charlie,” Sami whispered, “I love you too.” His hand moved to cup Charlie’s face and they leaned in at the same moment to come together for a kiss as snowflakes started to drift down around them.

 

_"I'll walk beside you through the eventide"_

**Author's Note:**

> It was noticed by oopsabird that Charlie never says Sami's name in the movie, so I came up with a potential reason why


End file.
